Log Keeper
by Poppy Popi Popo Po
Summary: She just wanted to get off her island. But she never thought she would get caught. Now a girl who cannot speak is made into the log keeper for the Spade Pirates. Journey with her as she writes the story of Portgas D. Ace so he can keep an old promise, with a lost brother.


This is my very first time writing a fanfiction. It's got quite a few OCs in it but focuses on one. It's supposed to be a diary style of writing so sorry for any errors. This is not a main Ace X OC story, the characters are just with him. I hope you like it and please review .

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**Log Keeper**

Day One (I don't know what the dates so I'm just going based on when I ran away)  
Location: Spade Pirates Ship

I never wanted to meet him. I really never wanted to be caught but in the end I was. All I wanted to do was to get on that ship, hide away until I got to an island I liked better than my own and live there. But who knew the captain enjoyed sneaking into the food vault at night for a little midnight munchies. I thought I was the only one who would be up way past dark and eating my fill of crackers and dried fish. But no, I got caught. I got caught by someone I really did not want to get caught by.

Portgas D. Ace, Fire Fist Ace. Captain of the Spade pirates and an upcoming rookie with a logia devil fruit that makes it out of fire.

I'm sitting on the floor of the storage room, a borrowed blanket around me and a stolen cracker in my hand, partially eaten. Two empty bottles of alcohol and a partially done third one were at my side. It had been a long night for me from what I could tell. He stared down at me while I stared up at him and we did nothing but that. His eyes were narrowed, suspicious at me while I probably looked like a deer did to a hunter. I never though being stood over by a man with such a good build could be so intimidating.

Felt like hours that he was staring at me but it was probably just a few seconds. A few terrifying seconds. I was almost too happy when the rumbling of my stomach broke our tension. His judging eyes softened before he let out a soft chuckle and sat down next to me, legs crossed. He reached into a box and pulled out some dried meat and more alcohol.

"I know you're a stowaway." He told me simply. "Don't think you can get away all together, but there is no point in yelling at someone who's hungry."

He pushed a few pieces of meat in my hands and I took them without question. Denying food being offered was not something I was going to do. For several minutes we ate and did nothing else. I was so hungry after several days of little to eat. That island I had been on was horrible, no food unless you could steal it and nobody selling because there wasn't enough. Only time food was plentiful was never. But it was illegal to steal and punishment was harsh for getting caught.

Portgas finished eating before me, I never even saw him take a bite. He put a bottle to his lips and drained it faster than a thirsty man could. "You don't talk much." He told me.

Well that was a given with me. I lifted my left hand and gestured for something to write with left hand. I think he got that I couldn't talk because he shook his head. "Mute, well that's why no one heard you." He chuckled again. "Were you born like that?"

I shook my head.

"Something happened to you to make you lose your voice?"

I nodded.

"So you are from that island that we just left then?"

I nodded.

"Let's see, what was the law?" Portgas scratched his head, thinking about something. "Windpipe crushed if lying about stealing."

I nodded.

"Damn, that's rough." Ace bit down on a piece of meat. "What did you steal?"

I lifted a bottle of alcohol and grinned. Portgas laughed aloud and hit his bottle against mine. "Well I don't like that you stowed away on a pirate's ship, but I can't blame you either." He told me, taking swig from his glass. "But don't expect to be let off just because I like you."

I knew this was going to be coming. I did stow away on a pirate's vessel of all thing. I was expecting death but I rather die and be thrown out to see then left in an alley of my island where anybody could do what they want with my body. Portgas was thinking again now, most likely for my punishment or something. I hope he told me what it was quick because them butterflies in my stomach were not going anywhere.

"You good at anything?" Portgas asked me. "Cooking, navigating, fighting and that stuff?"

I looked at him as to how he was expecting me to tell him. But Portgas had a face that he expected me to do so. So I put my hands up in fists.

"So you can fight?"

I nodded. I put my hand up to make it look like I was writing.

"Writing? Didn't think anyone on that island was smart enough for that."

I nodded. What else was I good at? I saw Portgas about to eat another piece of meat and stole it from it, eating it myself.

"Hey!" he shouted, trying to get it back. "Stealing my food is against the rules!"

I started to laugh, it was a failure, hoarse and caused me to cough dryly instead. Portgas thrusted a bottle in my arms and I took a drink.

"Okay, so fighting, writing and stealing." Portgas nodded. "I need someone who can write up the log for this ship. I got a promise to keep with someone and I want you to write what happens on a daily basis."

I stared at Portgas and I knew I had a disapproving face. There was no way my punishment would just be to write a log for a pirate crew. Most would have had me killed just for sneaking on, or slave work. Portgas was grinning ear to ear, very satisfied with what he got as if I wasn't a threat. I seemed disappointed to him and he frowned.

"Rather me have you cleaning the deck?" he asked.

I shook my head, not something I wanted to do. Log work was just fine and I guess it was better than dying. Didn't want that to happen, not yet. Portgas stood up and wiped his butt off with his hands. "Well it seems I made a new nakama in the middle of the night. How am I supposed to explain this to Mason?" he talked to himself. "Can we say I found you in the bathroom?"

I stood up and shrugged. The blanket fell off of me and bent down to pick it back up. The hull of the ship wasn't exactly warm and I was wearing nothing but a big t-shirt. Portgas was watching me and I'm not sure what he saw. Probably a scrawny girl in big clothing who never took a bath in her life.

"Clothes and bath would be nice I think." He told me. "I got some girls on the ship who can take care of that issue."

He grabbed my hand and started to pull me up towards the deck. "You are gonna hide in the bathroom and pretend I locked up in there." He said. "This is gonna work without me getting in trouble but you are taking the blame for the food." I nodded at him and he smirked. "No need to be so meek with me, I like you being willing to write makes me happy."

I never thought of myself as being willing to write but that wasn't something I was going to suggest to him. I'd play along with this whole writing for the pirates thing until I could find my way out of here. I may have gotten off my hell of an island but it wasn't any better being stuck as a pirate when I knew damn well that it could get me in even worse trouble than it was worth. Portgas lead me to a bathroom. Outside was simple wooden walls with not much else. Inside the bathroom had a bath, toilet and some necessities.

"Hide in here." He told me. "It won't stink since the girls use this one. They won't let the guys use it at all unless we sneak in. I do because the guys' stink up our bathroom."

I nodded and held back a smile. The face Portgas made was priceless and I wish I could have gotten a picture of it. He closed the door and I heard a lock. When his footsteps disappeared, I walked over to the wall and sat down. I wrapped the blanket around me more and hugged my knees. Never thought I would be able to fall asleep but the waves didn't really mess with the my head as much as they had in the hull.

I think it was the same day as when Portgas found me because I don't think I slept that well. Some guys I didn't know grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the bathroom. He seemed rough with his pulling but his grip was pretty gentle. The man was big, twice the height of me almost with broad shoulders and no shirt on. Tan skin, dark eyes and a set jaw with dark hair that was cropped short except one long pony tail. I might say he was quite attractive.

"Captain put you in there, didn't he?" the man asked me, still dragging me away though. "Probably found you in his food night raid and blackmailed you into joining to get him out of being in trouble."

The man stopped when I didn't say anything and I nodded.

"Honest one but quite a liar too." He said. "I already got everything from Ace, you got caught on your island and lost your voice."

I nodded again.

"I'm not going to let you go free, you're still gonna have to work on this ship as our log keeper." He told me. "Only saying this because I am sick of him nagging about us writing our journey. You can write and you will do it."

I nodded again. I already figured this all out and I didn't need him telling me any different. He opened a door and I got blinded by the sun. I closed my eyes but the man kept dragging me. He stopped and I opened my eyes to see Portgas. He was sitting on the railing, looking very upset.

"You told Mason everything, didn't you?" he asked me.

I raised my hands in defense. I had in fact not told him a thing, since I cannot speak. He caught on to what I meant and huffed. Mason, the tall guy who dragged me, walked over and smacked Portgas. The two argued and Portgas looked at me.

"Fine, what is your name so I can know what to call you." He asked me.

I shrugged. Never really got called by a name before, been called names but nobody could really remember mine, not even me. I knew I had one, but I had long forgotten it.

"So do I get to name you then?" Portgas looked overly happy for that fact.

"Why don't we get her clean and properly clothed before you go about naming her like a puppy." Mason suggested.

"She's like a puppy." Portgas pointed to my sorry state and I shrugged again.

Puppy was probably the nicest thing I ever got called.

A woman came up to me and put her hands on my shoulders. She had rich caramel skin with orange eyes and brown hair pulled back in dreads. Clad in nice pants, blouse, high boots and a lot of sashes and jewels. She smiled at me and steered me away from Portgas and Mason. "I'll clean her up for you, Captain." She told Portgas. "Something like this needs a womanly touch."

"Since when did we have womanly women in this crew?" Portgas attempted to whisper it to Mason but the girl in dreads heard and shot a dagger at Portgas.

The thing went right through his head, making a hole of fire appear. She pulled her hands back and the dagger came back. I barely caught a small string attached to it because of the sun. Portgas shouted at her about attacking the captain but the woman ignored him and continued to steer me away. Another girl joined us, one not much taller than me with fair skin that was sunburnt and peeling. She had freckles like Portgas but mostly on her shoulders, blue eyes and dirty blond hair that was kept in a high horse tail. They lead me to the bathroom I slept in and locked the door.

"Before we start, I'm Tien." The girl with dreadlocks said. "The big guy was Mason, first-mate. I'm one of the fighters here."

"I'm Clara." The blue eyed girl said. "I'm okay at fighting but better at navigating."

"Most of the other girls in this crew are nothing but brutes so we are probably the best girls you can talk to." Tien said. "Mason, Jacob and Gresh are the best guys other than Captain. I'll introduce you to the last two later, but first you need to clean up."

Clara started taking her clothes off and putting them in a basket. Tien followed and followed suit and took over to the oversized shirt. It crackled slightly as I pulled it and the two stared at it. Tien took it and threw it in a corner. "Trash." She told me. Under the shirt I wasn't wearing anything else while these girls had panties and bras.

Tien, but naked like me, looked me up and down. "Ribs sticking out, lack of food, small curves, lack of nutrition or too young to hit puberty… no, you've hit puberty, but you really are dirty. I can't tell if you are injured or just covered in dirt." She said.

"Well I got water ready." Clara said. She too was naked and sunk into the bath water with a sigh. I walked over to it with Tien and sat in the water myself.

Never in my life would I have thought that water could be so warm and pleasant. I sunk under as much as I could, right until my nose was almost covered. Tien smiled at but pulled me up. She sat me down in front of her and pulled out a bottle and a couple of sponges.

"Scrub her." Tien ordered Clara.

I wanted to protest but Tien already had me facing her and scrubbing my hair. Clara was scrubbing my back hard and it was a bit painful. I felt her go over a cut I got from a falling tree branch and almost wished that I could whine in pain to tell her it was there. I made the mouth movement but no sound came out.

"You have decent hair length but it's all dirty." Tien said. "The water is turning brown."

"Same here." Clara said. "Some blood too."

"Be more gentle." Tien said. "This is a delicate girl."

I wanted to say I wasn't delicate but I guess I looked it with how scrawny I was. I knew how to fight, wasn't good at it though. I'm better at running, especially running away. Took several minutes before they rinsed me off with a bucket of cold water and went on another cleaning spree. The water still turned brown but not as much. I don't know how long we were in there but after some time, they let me out and I could actually see my skin color. Though it was really red from all the scrubbing.

Tien wrapped a towel around her and tossed me one. She told me to sit on this little bench in front of a mirror and so I did. She picked up this shell and tossed it to Clara who was holding another one. Through wet hair that stuck to my face, I watched the girl spin her arms with a happy grin. Tien forced my head forward and started to dry my hair with another towel.

"I'm cutting your hair." She told me. "It's pretty long but since you don't know how to take care of it, I'm cutting it short."

She took a pair that were on the table and started snipping my hair. Clara put the shells down and sat on a bench next to me. She grinned and put her weight on her hands. "Trust Tien with your hair." She said. "She's good with sharp things."

"Like my tongue." Tien laughed. Clara joined.

I closed my eyes as the two talked. Mostly what I heard was the snipping of the scissors and the feeling of pieces of hair falling off. With each snip I felt less weight on my heads. Tien took one of the shells and pushed a button. Air blew in my hair and whipped it in my face. Tien took a brush and started brushing my hair while Clara held the shell. She snipped my bangs and grinned.

"I think this is cute." Clara told me.

Tien turned me around to look in the mirror. Never once had I clearly seen myself in a mirror so I don't know what I looked like before but I looked pretty good. My hair was a dark orange, kinda red in color. My bangs were cut straight across and it was wavy, ending right at my chin and cupping my face. I felt the back and it was higher up, like it was layered down. My eyes were green-brown, I think Clara said they were hazel.

Tien told me to stand up and I started to dry my body off along with them. Tien looked me over again. I wasn't covered in dirt but small scars stood out; some were pink and others more faded. I had a few fresher cuts that were red and slightly bleeding out of irritation. I could still see that I did not have much in terms of breasts or other features, even my height felt like it did not change at all.

"I think she has a doll like figure." Clara commented.

Tien lifted my chin with a small frown. "The figure but not the features." She said. "Your nose has been broken before, it's a bit flat and your lips are too thing. Your jaw is square and you had a wide forehead so I covered it with bangs. You've been through a rough life too. Calloused hands and lots of scars." She smiled and let me go. "You fit the idea of a tiny pirate."

Clara clapped at the idea and approved. "Tiny Pirate!" she laughed. "That's a new name!"

I did not want to be called tiny pirate and gave them a silent scowl at the thought. The two laughed, understanding my distaste.

"Getting used to you not being able to talk will be hard but I think I will get used to it eventually." Tien told me.

She walked over to her clothes and tossed me a large shirt. "Wear that till I find you a new outfit." She told me. "I'm taking you to Jacob so he can look at your cuts. I doubt we have anything small enough for you but we can fix that at the next island."

I nodded and pulled the short on. It went half way down to my knees. The two girls got dressed and dragged me out of the bathroom. We went down a hall and up a set of stairs. Instead of going to the deck, we walked up another small set and opened a door that smelled bad. A man, older than any of the others I knew on this ship was sitting in a chair at a desk. He looked up and gave a warm smile to us when we walked in.

"Close the door." The man said. "I don't want any of the other guys coming in here while I check on our little new girl."

"Little is right." Clara giggled and locked the door.

"You aren't much taller than her, Clara." Tien warned her.

"You're just an amazon." Clara huffed.

Jacob walked over to me and looked me over. He nodded and lifted me up by my arms and put me on a bed. I sat, my legs dangling of the edge. He told me to take my shirt off which I did and got a piece of paper out. Jacob wrote things down and checked on me. He cleaned and bandaged by cuts and gave me a few shots. He checked my throat, ears eyes and everything before telling me to put my shirt back on.

"Good job getting her cleaned." He told Tien and Clara. "A few small infections are running through her body, but that's to be expected. I cleaned them up but she needs to come in every day to get shots for a couple of days. She is underweight but don't let her eat too much at once, her stomach won't handle it. Make sure she eats just a bit at each meal, every week let her eat more until she can eat normal sizes. There is no helping her voice issues. She won't be speaking again ever."

I nodded at him when he looked my way, telling him I understood everything. Tien and Clara nodded as well. I got off the table, finding it a bit difficult to move with the bandages on my arms. I stretched slightly but Jacob tapped my arm and shook his head. I frowned by stopped and followed Tien and Clara out.

"Jacob is a good doctor." Tien told me. "Everyone was glad when Captain got him to join. Clara or I will take you back there for your shots until he says you don't need them."

I nodded at her and continued to follow until we came to a different hall. This one had several open doors, some with people and some without. I most saw men but we ignored them. Clara brought us to one of the closed room and opened it with a key. I walked in and Tien closed it behind me.

Inside were beds and hammocks, nearly all were taken with items like pillows, blankets, clothing and other objects. There were a few dressers but it seemed all clothing were in designated piles. Clara ran to one such pile and started digging through it. Tien told me to sit on a bed that seemed to be vacant of any owner. I did and watched them.

"I suggest light breeches and a shirt, soft shoes if you have any." Tien said. "Worst come to worst, give her a dress. And make sure you find some panties. No bra needed."

Clara saluted Tien and continued to dig. After a minute she tossed a pair of panties at me, hitting me in the face. I put them on and moved slightly. It felt strange having something tight around my crotch. Clara continued to shovel through things and threw a shirt at my face. I pulled that on too. It was a bit big, puff sleeves down to my elbow and was tied at the front, making it show my belly. The color was white, though a bit off. Next she tossed me a pair of pants. These were blue, probably faded from sea water and wind. I pulled them on as well and they started to slide right off.

As I was trying to get them to stay on my hips, Tien started to laugh. I glanced up at her with a scowl and she stood up. Going through her own things, she tossed me a light brown sash. She walked over and pulled my pants up all the way and tied it on my waist. They stayed up now. "I think she looks good enough." Tien commented. "Forget the shoes. The pants go down long enough that it isn't needed and I doubt your feet will like them."

I nodded in response. Not once had I ever worn shoes and liked it. I'm just happy my island never got cold like it did on some of the others. That wouldn't have been a fun time with me and my bare feet habit. Tien slapped me on the back and turned me around.

"I think this will do good for now, Tien." Clara spoke up. She stood up and kicked her pile around. "We can get her some better clothes later on."

"Next time we stop at an island, I'll get Captain to buy you something nice." Tien promised. "After that, we can just share like we tend to do with the girls."

We walked out of the room and made our way to the deck. Portgas and Mason were still at the railing, talking about something. When we go closer I heard him talk about attacking Whitebeard. I heard that name before and I knew what it means to back up behind it but I had not a clue about anything else. The two stopped talking when we came up and I heard Mason whistle low.

"We now have a cute tiny boy." Portgas joked. "Didn't know someone could change with just a bath and a haircut."

"Everything can change because of that captain." Clara told him. "But she needs clothes that fit her."

"Well she can buy them at the next island." Ace told Clara with a small huff. "It's not that hard."

"Captain, she's new and has no money." Tien said, putting her hands on her hips. "You can't expect her to steal, can you?"

"She's done it before." Ace said. I shrugged in response. I was fine with stealing. "But yeah, go get money for it."

Clara clapped her hands. "Great."

"Don't you think giving her a name would be a good idea?" Mason asked. "We can't just be referring to her as she and girl."

"Can I name her Puppy?" Portgas asked. My temptation to hit the man started rise. "She looks like a little puppy."

At that time I had shoved my hands on my pockets, lucky enough to find paper and a piece of charcoal. In quick, scratching letters I wrote out: I am not a puppy! Portgas looked at it and pet me like I was one, telling me there there. I threw my hands in the air and started to flail around a bit.

"I like Poppy." Clara said. "It's close to Puppy and poppies are red like her hair."

I stopped flailing at Portgas and looked at Clara. I had no clue what a poppy was and the name was funny sounding. I frowned but Clara seemed very happy with the name she had come up with. Tien agreed with her too, saying Poppy was nice. I scratched down again on a piece of paper and held it up: Do I get a say in this?

"Poppy it is." Portgas declared. "I'm still calling you Puppy though."

I wanted to protest again but Mason called the attention to everyone on the crew. "We have a new crewmate. Her name is Poppy, the log keeper. Treat her well boys and don't think anything funny." He bellowed. Many of the men laughed at his remark and cheered.

I sighed and gave a shrug. Poppy it was.


End file.
